1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Now. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:09,639 Speaker 1: evidence of things not seen Hebrews eleven. One, Lord, when 3 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,479 Speaker 1: you give me a promise, I choose to believe I 4 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: will see the full manifestation of what's hoped for. I 5 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 1: will see the full manifestation of that hoped for a promise. 6 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: My faith assures me it will happen, even though I 7 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: have no evidence of it. Right now, by faith, I 8 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: believe in Jesus by faith, my trust in your word. 9 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: By faith, I believe what you say to me by 10 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 1: your spirit. My faith is what the enemy attacks, because 11 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: faith is my confidence and trust in you. If the 12 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 1: enemy can weaken that confidence, I am rendered powerless against him. 13 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: I trust in you, Lord, your word, and your promises. 14 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: I have not seen heaven, but I hope I will 15 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: see you there by my faith in you. Amen. Thank 16 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: you for listening to today's daily prayer for more inspiration 17 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: and an incredible message from our feature pastor stay tuned 18 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: to prey dot COM's Sunday Service. Welcome to prey dot 19 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: COM's Sunday Service sponsored by our trua Health Share. Follow 20 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 1: this podcast and listen weekly to receive godly wisdom and 21 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: practical advice for daily living. Stay tuned for Sunday service 22 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:32,119 Speaker 1: coming up. After a quick word from our sponsors, there's 23 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: an innovative, better way to find healthcare. We are our 24 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: True a health Share, an affordable and flexible way to 25 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: take care of your family. We're a community of like minded, 26 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,279 Speaker 1: health conscious individuals who share in each other's medical needs, 27 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: and you can customize your healthcare your way. Without true 28 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: health Share, you can build your membership based on your 29 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: season of life and your family's needs. Head to my 30 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: share dot org to find out more. That's my share 31 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: dot org out you a health share where we are 32 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: for one another. Welcome to high impact living with Pastor 33 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: Rick McDaniel. Inflation, gas prices, crime division in our country, 34 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,799 Speaker 1: it's caused many to be anxious and afraid. If you 35 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: need an encouraging word in these challenging times, if you 36 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: want a sermon that will bless you, if you desire 37 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: it and increase in your faith, this message is for you. Now. 38 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 1: Here's Pastor Rick preaching today's message. I believe it from 39 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: the church he founded and pastored for twenty seven years 40 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: in Richmond, Virginia. Second King's Chapter seven, Verses one and 41 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: two Elisha answered, I have a message for you. The 42 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: Lord promises that tomorrow here in Samaria, you will be 43 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,079 Speaker 1: able to buy a large sack of flower or two 44 00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: large sacks of barley for almost nothing. The chief officer 45 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: there with the king replied, I don't believe it. I 46 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: don't believe it. Let me give you the background real 47 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: quick on what's going on here. The Syrian army has 48 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:17,119 Speaker 1: come and they have completely set a siege and surrounded 49 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: this city. And so as time goes by, food is 50 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: going away, and they've entered into a famine. There's no 51 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: more food. These people are extremely desperate. There are four lepers, 52 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: and these four lepers say, we're gonna die because we're 53 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: gonna starve to death. So why don't we just go 54 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: out to the army and see if they'll feed us. 55 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: If they don't feed us and kill us, we die. 56 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: If we stay here, we die. Either way, we die. 57 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: Very motivational group. So they go out. But here's what 58 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: God does. When these four four lepers start coming, God 59 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: makes it sound like a huge army is coming, so 60 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: that the Syrians think this is what they think. The 61 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: King of Israel has gotten the Egyptian army and the 62 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: hit Tight army to join forces along with his army, 63 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: and they're coming to get us, and they're gonna destroy us. 64 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: And they're so afraid that they say, just drop everything 65 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 1: and run. Don't take anything with you, just run, and 66 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: they run. They retreat. When the lepers get there, they're like, 67 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, this is unbelievable. There's nothing but food 68 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: and food and food and food. No one's even here. 69 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: It's marvelous. So they start eating and doing all this stuff. 70 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,039 Speaker 1: Then one of them goes, I think we'd better tell 71 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 1: other people that this has happened. We better not just 72 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: tell you, keep it to ourselves. So they go back. 73 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: They tell the king, the kings, I don't believe it. 74 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: I don't believe it. We'll send a few people and 75 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:57,280 Speaker 1: a few special forces, a couple of special operators will 76 00:04:57,279 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: go out and we'll see if this is really a case. 77 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: They go, they find out it's the case, and everybody, 78 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: I mean, the news hits the city and everybody just goes, goes, 79 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: and everybody starts getting all the food that they could 80 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 1: ever want, so that a large sack of flower or 81 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 1: two large sacks of barley cost almost nothing because supply 82 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 1: and demand. If there's plenty of supply, there's not any demand. 83 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 1: By the way, I didn't read the part or the 84 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: guy who says I don't believe it. Lisa says to him, 85 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: you're never gonna see this happen. On the way out 86 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: of the city and everyone is going crazy because they're 87 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:40,119 Speaker 1: starving to death. They get to the food, he gets 88 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: trampled over it and dies. Wow, that's the background of 89 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: this story. Now let's move. Oh, I don't know, maybe 90 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:55,839 Speaker 1: twenty seven hundred years to today. What's going on today? 91 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:06,160 Speaker 1: Many people fearful, anxious, inflation, gas prices, division in our country, 92 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: Unemployment not bad now, but if the FED keeps race 93 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: and rates and then filled with anxiety and fear, and 94 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:20,599 Speaker 1: that is not the place that God wants us to be. 95 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,920 Speaker 1: Have you ever thought about this? What is it about 96 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 1: fear and faith that's the same, You say, Well, they 97 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: will start with the letter f patrick. Well, that is true, 98 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: they do. But here's the thing about faith and fear. 99 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: They both believe in a future that hasn't happened yet. 100 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: Faith believes in the future that hasn't happened yet. Fear 101 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: believes in the future that hasn't happened yet. And the 102 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,280 Speaker 1: question for you today is this, which future are you're 103 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,280 Speaker 1: gonna believe? Are you gonna believe in a negative fear 104 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: field future or a positive faith fiel future. And that's 105 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: the choice today to choose to believe, to believe, don't 106 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: believe in the fear and don't believe in the hype, 107 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: believe in what God can do. Way back in the 108 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:16,119 Speaker 1: fifties at Harvard, they did a study with rats, domesticated 109 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: and wild rats. They dropped them all in water and 110 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: they wanted to see how long they could swim around 111 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: before they gave up. The domesticated rats would swim forty 112 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: to sixty hours before they gave up. The wild rats 113 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: fifteen minutes they were done. So they did another study 114 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: just with the wild rats. They put the rats in 115 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 1: and just when they were ready to give up, they 116 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 1: took them out of the water. They dried him off, 117 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: they sang a lullaby to him. They might not have 118 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: done that, but they gave him a chance to rest. 119 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 1: They put him back in the water. How long did 120 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: the wild rats end up staying in the water that 121 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: time forty to sixty hours. Us like the domesticated ones 122 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: and the researchers came to this conclusion. The rats believed 123 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: that they would be rescued so they could keep on swimming. 124 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: Do you believe if you're a person of faith today, 125 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: if accepted Christ into your life, you stepped out in faith. 126 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: Do you believe? And by the way, if if you're 127 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 1: in church today, if you're seeking today and you have 128 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 1: yet to decide to become a follow of Christ, faith 129 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 1: is the starting point. So it's a good thing to 130 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: listen today about the nature of faith. Here's what I know. 131 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: Belief causes us to rise up, to live with purpose, 132 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 1: to press on. Faith is what moves us forward. But 133 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 1: so many people when they hear faith, they think, oh, 134 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 1: this is mystical. It's mystical, how can you understand it? 135 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 1: But here's what's exciting. Faith is definable. It's not mystical. Actually, 136 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: it's definable. Hebrews Chapter eleven, Verse one. Now, faith is 137 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: confidence in what we hope for, assurance of what we 138 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 1: do not see. Confidence in what we hope for, assurance 139 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: and what we do not see. That's what faith is. 140 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:25,120 Speaker 1: You don't have to wonder about what it is. You 141 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: can know what it is. It's confidence in what you 142 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 1: hope for. To have faith, to believe is to have 143 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 1: confidence that what you hope is going to happen will happen. 144 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:48,199 Speaker 1: To have an assurance that what you don't see will 145 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: in fact be seen. An assurance and a confidence, And 146 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: so faith becomes a choice. We choose to believe. We 147 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: make a conscious choice. I choose to believe that God 148 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:06,920 Speaker 1: will rescue me, that God will care for me. I 149 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 1: choose to believe that. I make a conscious decision. You 150 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: believe when it's difficult. You believe what it doesn't make sense. 151 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 1: You believe when it's easy to doubt. You choose to believe. 152 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: I don't believe it. Yes, you say, I do believe it. 153 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: You don't end up like this Chief ausor I don't 154 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 1: believe it. Even the King, I don't know if that 155 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: really happened. Let's send some people to find out. You 156 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:47,959 Speaker 1: choose to believe. God does miracles. God works in the supernatural. 157 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: God takes his super and puts it on your natural 158 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:59,080 Speaker 1: and it's amazing what happens. Most of us know one. 159 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: I think one of the most amazing miracles of the Bible, 160 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 1: the parting of the Red Sea. But I don't know 161 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: if we fully understand it because many of us have 162 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 1: seen the Ten Commandments, and so we think, oh, they 163 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 1: were looking at water up over here and water up 164 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: over there, and they just walked through. But that's not 165 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: what happened. In the army, one of the branches of 166 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:22,640 Speaker 1: the army is the quartermaster. In fact, they their headquarter 167 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:26,559 Speaker 1: right down the road here at Fort Lee. The Quartermaster 168 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: General of the Army did a little study. Here's what 169 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 1: he determined. Well, let me back up and tell you. 170 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,079 Speaker 1: In the Bible says there were six hundred thousand men, 171 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:36,319 Speaker 1: that is in the Bible. But we know, of course 172 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 1: that there were also women and children. So the scholars 173 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 1: estimate about two and a half million people. So two 174 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: and a half million people had they make their way 175 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: out of Egypt. And the quartermaster determined that in order 176 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: for two and a half million people to cross in 177 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: one day would mean that the span of opening beat 178 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 1: Queen the two Walls of Water would be three miles 179 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: three miles. It's two miles from here to the Interstate 180 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: two ninety five exit. It's another mile to get the 181 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 1: three miles. That's how wide it was. Five thousand people 182 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:25,120 Speaker 1: shoulder to shoulder walking all day long, for two and 183 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:31,000 Speaker 1: a half million people to walk on dry land. How's 184 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: that for a miracle? Pretty good? God? Yeah, pretty good. 185 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 1: And oh, by the way, he also said how much 186 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 1: food they would need? Three million pounds of food a 187 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: day and eleven million gallons of water. And God did it. 188 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:58,960 Speaker 1: The same God who did that is still working today. Yeah. 189 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:03,079 Speaker 1: Inflation four your high, don't deny it. Sure, gas price 190 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 1: is crazy high. Yes, it's true. Housing mortgage rates, on 191 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 1: and on it goes. Not to menion what's happening in 192 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 1: your life, because you could be facing a health problem 193 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 1: right now. You could be facing an issue in your 194 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: family or your marriage. We're all going to face all 195 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: these things, and faith is what is going to make 196 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 1: the difference. Friends, faith doesn't make it easy, it makes 197 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 1: it possible. Faith doesn't make it easy, it makes it possible. 198 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: And if you want to be in the possibility, you 199 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 1: have to exercise faith. Instead of focusing on the problem, 200 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 1: focus on your faith. The confidence, the confidence. I have 201 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: confidence to what I hope for. I have an assurance 202 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 1: about what I don't see, but in the eyes of faith, 203 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: I see it. You know, the greatest definition of vision 204 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: that I've ever heard is seeing the invisible, not normal vision. 205 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:17,440 Speaker 1: Go to your eye doctor, he says, what do you see? 206 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 1: I see the invisible. You might have a problem, but 207 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:24,080 Speaker 1: in the world of you know, ministry and leadership, what 208 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 1: is vision, it's seeing the invisible. Do you have the vision? 209 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: Do you have the vision? Faith is definable and listen, friends, 210 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: faith is indispensable. Here's why Hebrews chapter eleven, verse six. 211 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: And without faith, it is impossible to please God. In 212 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: other words, it isn't yeah, bess Rick, you came here 213 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 1: today to inspire us and fire us up to have faith. No, well, 214 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 1: I mean I yes, But you have to have faith 215 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: because otherwise you can't please God. Another way to translate 216 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: the word impossible of the original language Greek would be 217 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 1: unable without faith, You're unable. You are not able to 218 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 1: please God unless you exercise faith. If you are a 219 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: follower of Christ, today you stepped over the line of faith, 220 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 1: meaning you said, I choose to believe that Jesus is 221 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 1: the son of God, that he was born of the 222 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: Virgin Mary, that he lived a sinless life, that he 223 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 1: died on the cross, that he rose from the grave 224 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: over the cross, and that someday he will come back again. 225 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 1: That's what you choose to believe. Amen, if you're a 226 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: follower of Christ, if you've yet to follow Christ, this 227 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 1: is what it means to follow Christ. That's say, I 228 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, 229 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 1: and that by faith, in believing in his work on 230 00:15:56,280 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: the cross, I am saved. My soul is saved for eternity. 231 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 1: That's what it means to have faith. But my question 232 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: today for those of you that chosen to follow, is 233 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 1: so you started in faith, and now the gas prices, 234 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 1: the inflation, the division is now what greater than the faith? 235 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: Without faith, it's impossible to please God. Doubt causes us 236 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: to shrink back, to live in fear, to give up hope. 237 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 1: That's what doubt does. We're not here to shrink back, 238 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:40,560 Speaker 1: or to live in fear, or to give up hope. 239 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 1: Faith means this. I believe things are gonna get better. 240 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: I believe things are going to improve. I believe it. 241 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: I believe it. I choose to believe it. Faith the 242 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 1: indus spensible nature of faith. About four years ago, I 243 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: had been writing for Fox for a number of years. 244 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,479 Speaker 1: I've written like forty articles, but this one article, bam 245 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: the editor calls me and says, hey, I just gotta 246 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: tell you this article has completely taken off. One point 247 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:17,159 Speaker 1: seven million people have read it. I was like, wow, 248 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 1: I've been ministering with people for years, I have a broadcast, 249 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:22,359 Speaker 1: I got all this stuff going on. I never reached 250 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 1: a million point one point million, one point seven million people. 251 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 1: That got me going, thinking, writing other things, and ultimately 252 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:33,920 Speaker 1: led me to believe a few years later that God 253 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: wanted me to transition out of pastoring the church to 254 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:42,440 Speaker 1: try to reach more people. But that was a huge 255 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:48,440 Speaker 1: step of faith. So the Prey people contacted me and 256 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:50,119 Speaker 1: they said they would like you to have this daily 257 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:53,880 Speaker 1: devotion show great, and do we want to take one 258 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:57,160 Speaker 1: of your messages and put it on our Sunday service. 259 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: The Sunday service on Prey on the paper pray dot 260 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 1: com is one message that runs all day long. It's 261 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:05,960 Speaker 1: not like on at eleven or you know, it's on 262 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 1: all day. I said great. The next day they contacted 263 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 1: me and they said, listen, we just want you to 264 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:19,720 Speaker 1: know yesterday one point seven million people listen to your message. 265 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 1: You see how God confirms to the number one point 266 00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 1: seven million read it. Okay, maybe I should start doing this. 267 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:32,240 Speaker 1: One point seven million people listen to it. This is 268 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:36,359 Speaker 1: how God confirms. God will show himself to be faithful 269 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:42,760 Speaker 1: to you if you will have faith. Now, faith is 270 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:48,120 Speaker 1: in faith if it's not tested. I used to say 271 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 1: for years, those of you who've heard me many times, 272 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: you know, you know, those of you who are on 273 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: the staff. No, you know, if it was easy, everybody 274 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:59,159 Speaker 1: would do it. It was easy, everybody would do it. 275 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: It's not easy. It's not always easy to have faith. 276 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 1: So we have to choose to believe. We choose to believe. 277 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 1: Your faith gets tested, you choose to continue to have faith. 278 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 1: You say to yourself, I am going to please God 279 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:25,360 Speaker 1: by how I exercise my faith. I will please God. 280 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:29,040 Speaker 1: People say, how could I please God by exercising your faith. 281 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: It's impossible to please God if you don't exercise your faith, 282 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 1: if you don't choose to believe, if you don't say 283 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: I believe it, I believe it. I have confidence and 284 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:44,840 Speaker 1: what I hope for, I have assurance of what I 285 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:48,240 Speaker 1: do not see. Some of the old translations say a certainty, 286 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,160 Speaker 1: I am certain of what I don't see. I'm assured 287 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,800 Speaker 1: of what I don't see. I have confidence and what 288 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:55,920 Speaker 1: I hope for that it is going to come to pass, 289 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,639 Speaker 1: that it is going to happen, that God is going 290 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 1: to do it. That's what faith is, and that's what 291 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:09,640 Speaker 1: God is asking of us today in this challenging season, 292 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:15,120 Speaker 1: is to choose to have faith, to choose to believe. 293 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 1: It is indispensable if we are going to walk with 294 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 1: the Lord, and it is the only way that miracles happen. 295 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:33,560 Speaker 1: What God did when he parted three miles. You'll never 296 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:36,640 Speaker 1: forget that, will you. Next time you watch a ten Commandments, 297 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:40,920 Speaker 1: you'd be like, that is not historically accurate, Pastor, I said, 298 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 1: is not me? The quartermaster he said, Quartermaster general said 299 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 1: three miles? Three miles. I mean, just imagine the massiveness 300 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 1: of that. Eleven million gallons of water, three million pounds 301 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: of food. And of course we could go on and 302 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 1: on and talk about all the many amazing miracles, including 303 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: the greatest mirk of all, which is that Jesus died 304 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:04,920 Speaker 1: on the cross, was buried, and rose up from the grave. 305 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 1: He was dead and it was alive. That's the God 306 00:21:10,119 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 1: we serve. That's the God we serve in. A God 307 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:17,880 Speaker 1: like that can certainly help us with our inflationary issues 308 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 1: that we're in today. Amen. Faith is also scalable. Why 309 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 1: faith can scale it? You know, here's in the business world, 310 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 1: they talk it like, oh, we have this one location 311 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 1: and it's been successful, so let's scale up to ten locations, 312 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,359 Speaker 1: and then from ten locations to one hundred locations. In 313 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:45,199 Speaker 1: the educational world, they'll say, this program is working in 314 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,919 Speaker 1: this school, Let's let's put it in all the schools 315 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: and the whole entire school district, and then oh, it's working. 316 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 1: Let's put it throughout the state and everyone who uses 317 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:57,680 Speaker 1: program it is. It is able. It has the potential 318 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:05,479 Speaker 1: to scale. Faith is something that can scale. It starts small. Listen, Matthew, 319 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: Chapter seventeen, verses twenty and twenty one. Truly, I tell 320 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 1: you this is Jesus. If you have faith as small 321 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 322 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,760 Speaker 1: move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing 323 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:23,160 Speaker 1: will be impossible for you. If you have faith as 324 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:25,480 Speaker 1: small as a mustard seed. You know how small a 325 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: mustard seed is. No, I do not pass thrick. Well, 326 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:30,159 Speaker 1: now you can look up on the screen and you 327 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:34,800 Speaker 1: can see it for yourself, the tiny little seeds in 328 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:40,680 Speaker 1: a palm of someone's hand. There minuscule, tiny little seeds. 329 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:46,360 Speaker 1: And everyone that Jesus was talking to knew. Everyone understood 330 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:51,200 Speaker 1: those tiny little mustard seeds. They knew that is as 331 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 1: small as it gets. And then Jesus said, you can 332 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 1: say He pointed to Mount Hermann. He say, you can 333 00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 1: say to that mountain, move and it'll move. They knew 334 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 1: that Jesus didn't mean the actual physical mounted would move, 335 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 1: because for the Hebrew people, mountain was a metaphor for 336 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:14,679 Speaker 1: difficulty or problem. So what Jesus was saying is you 337 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:19,880 Speaker 1: can say, to that problem, move to solution. You can say, 338 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:25,199 Speaker 1: to that difficulty, move to done. That's what faith can do. 339 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 1: Small little faith, you say, I don't have a lot 340 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 1: of faith, pastoring, Do you have a faith as small 341 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 1: as the mustard seed, the teeny little bit of faith? Yes, 342 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,240 Speaker 1: you have that much faith. I'll answer for you, Yes, 343 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:42,879 Speaker 1: you do. You have that much faith. You have faith 344 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:47,200 Speaker 1: that small, that tiny little Now what what does she 345 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 1: used to say? Nothing will be impossible for you? Impossible? 346 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:59,520 Speaker 1: I just heard that word. Yes, without faith, it's impossible 347 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: to please God. With faith, nothing is impossible. In other words, 348 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 1: everything is impossible without faith. Nothing is impossible with faith. 349 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:22,920 Speaker 1: That is a tweetable statement. Everything everything is impossible without faith, 350 00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 1: nothing is impossible with faith. Jesus said it. So the 351 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:38,359 Speaker 1: difference here is enormous, enormous difference between choosing choosing to 352 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 1: believe and to practice faith opens up the door. Okay, scaling. 353 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:47,440 Speaker 1: So in this book The Voltage Effect, this guy John 354 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:51,720 Speaker 1: List writes this book to help businesses scale to scale up. 355 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 1: But listen to this statement that he makes fifty to 356 00:24:56,160 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: ninety percent of programs lose voltage at scale, meaning as 357 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: people try to scale their business or their program, it 358 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 1: doesn't scale, it doesn't scale, It loses voltage, it loses power. 359 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:15,879 Speaker 1: Guess what doesn't lose power at scale but gains power 360 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: at scale. Say it with me, faith, Second Corinthians, Chapter five, 361 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:30,920 Speaker 1: verse seven. Walk by faith and not by sight. So 362 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 1: now we're scaling. We're going from little mustard seed, tiny, 363 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:37,399 Speaker 1: little faith, and we're moving up to walk by faith 364 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:40,639 Speaker 1: and not by sight. Well, I saw this on TV, 365 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 1: and I saw this online and that doesn't sound good 366 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:46,399 Speaker 1: and this looks really bad, and oh my gosh, what 367 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: is going to happen? Walk by faith, not by sight. 368 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:56,040 Speaker 1: So your faith scales, it begins to grow. It gets bigger, 369 00:25:56,359 --> 00:26:02,200 Speaker 1: it gets stronger. As you scale up your faith, it 370 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 1: can be gotten good news. You can start with a 371 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:10,879 Speaker 1: tiny little bit of faith. That's all you need. Better news. 372 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:16,359 Speaker 1: Your faith can grow, your your faith can increase, it 373 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: scales upward. Here's another here's another step up in the 374 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:24,920 Speaker 1: scaling of faith. One of my favorite stories in the 375 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:28,680 Speaker 1: whole Bible. This army officer comes to Jesus and he says, 376 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 1: and this is in Matthew chapter eight, verse twenty. He 377 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 1: comes to Jesus and he says, my servant is sick. 378 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:43,160 Speaker 1: It's gonna die, but I know you can heal him. 379 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:47,399 Speaker 1: And Jesus, I'm not asking you to come to my house, 380 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 1: lay your hand on him and pray for him to 381 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:54,159 Speaker 1: be healed. Because I'm a I'm an officer, so I 382 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:57,880 Speaker 1: understand authority, and I know you have authority. And if 383 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:03,160 Speaker 1: you say right now that my servant is healed, then 384 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: I believe he's healed. What was jesus response to that. 385 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:12,040 Speaker 1: Here's what it says. In verse twenty, it says Jesus 386 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:19,160 Speaker 1: was amazed or marveled. Jesus was amazed. Jesus marveled at 387 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:24,119 Speaker 1: his great faith. He was so excited Jesus said, Finally, 388 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:30,480 Speaker 1: somebody gets it. The faith they works, and if you believe, 389 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:35,880 Speaker 1: miraculous things happen. Now here's where it really gets interesting. 390 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:40,320 Speaker 1: There's one other place in the entire Bible where the 391 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 1: word amazed is used regarding Jesus. There's only two places 392 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:48,280 Speaker 1: in the whole Bible. This place Matthew eight twenty Jesus 393 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: was amazed, marveled at their faith Mark six six. What's 394 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:58,040 Speaker 1: mark six six? Say? Jesus was in his hometown and 395 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 1: he was amazed at their lack of faith. Boom two times. 396 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: Jesus is amazed, Jesus is marveled, and they both involve faith, 397 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 1: lack of faith, great faith. Now I've been meditating on 398 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: this this week. It's really blessed me. Maybe it'll bless you. 399 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:28,600 Speaker 1: Just think about this almighty God, Jesus Christ could be 400 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: amazed by something puny little me could do exercising great faith. 401 00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 1: That does it like blow your mind? Like what you think? Oh, 402 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 1: I could do something to amaze Jesus. I could do 403 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 1: nothing to amaze Jesus. Nothing. Well, according to the Bible, 404 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 1: you actually could if you would look at what's going 405 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: on today and you would choose to have great faith 406 00:28:56,480 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 1: instead of anxiety and fear would amaze Jesus. He would 407 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:08,600 Speaker 1: be marveled by your faith. Somebody say amen to that. Wow, Wow, 408 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:12,920 Speaker 1: what God can do when people scale up their faith, 409 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 1: move it from tiny faith to walking in faith, to 410 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 1: great faith. And again the good news is it's scalable. 411 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:26,320 Speaker 1: So if you're it tiny today, you know you can 412 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:28,480 Speaker 1: go to walking and you can go to grade. I mean, 413 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 1: you can work your way up this building that you're 414 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 1: in right now. Let me just tell you this story God. 415 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:42,720 Speaker 1: We started the church ten families in abasement, and over 416 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 1: a ten year period, my faith went from tiny to 417 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 1: walking and really started to get big because I saw 418 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:51,520 Speaker 1: the things God was doing and doing and doing, including 419 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 1: the property. This property, thousand feet of frontage, four lane road, 420 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:57,600 Speaker 1: Interstate exit, a million dollar piece of property, and it 421 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 1: was sold to us, not for a million, for three 422 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:02,760 Speaker 1: quarters of a million, not for half a million, for 423 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 1: one third of a million. God gave us this property. 424 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 1: My faith got even bigger. Now it was time to build. 425 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 1: First person I thought of to go as a banker 426 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 1: was this guy Bank of America. Sat next to him 427 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 1: for years, our sons played football together. He always said 428 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:21,360 Speaker 1: to me when you're ready, come see me. I came 429 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:24,640 Speaker 1: and saw him. I said, I'm ready, gave him all 430 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,840 Speaker 1: the numbers, gave him all the financials, got back with him. 431 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:35,320 Speaker 1: He said no. I said, remember when you said just 432 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 1: you know, when you're ready, didn't that mean yes? Isn't 433 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 1: that what that meant? He didn't just say no? He said, 434 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:48,080 Speaker 1: and Rick, as your friend, I'm imploring you don't do this. 435 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 1: You cannot afford to do this. You should not do this. 436 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:58,080 Speaker 1: I said, well, thanks for the friendship. And I went 437 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: to another bank and guess what they say, said no. 438 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:05,920 Speaker 1: And I went to another bank and they said yet, 439 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 1: which is a fancy word in another language for no, no, no, no. 440 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 1: Finally I found a bank doesn't even exist anymore. That 441 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,880 Speaker 1: doesn't mean because they loaned us money, they don't exist. 442 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 1: They merged with another bank. They finally agreed to loan 443 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 1: us the money. Who's building the building? Very very exciting. 444 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:35,480 Speaker 1: And then the builder comes to me and says, oh, 445 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 1: you know, have you ever heard of scope creep pastor? Rick, 446 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 1: I said, no, Well, let me teach you about it. 447 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:46,000 Speaker 1: It means that the project tends to the scope of 448 00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:48,440 Speaker 1: it creeps and it ends up being a little more expensive. 449 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 1: I said, what does this all mean? Well, we're not 450 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 1: going to have enough money for your FFE, which stands 451 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:59,960 Speaker 1: for fixtures, furniture and equipment. In other words, the build 452 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:02,160 Speaker 1: thing will be built, but there will be no chairs, 453 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:06,520 Speaker 1: no sound system, no lighting, no desk, no computers. I 454 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 1: don't know about you, but I thought that was kind 455 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:13,200 Speaker 1: of a problem. I went back to the bank who 456 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: loaned us the money, and I said, we need just 457 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,040 Speaker 1: another just another quarter of a million to do the FFE. 458 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:30,000 Speaker 1: Guess what they said, No, okay. I drove down to Petersburg. 459 00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:32,240 Speaker 1: Such a great story. I wish I could tell it 460 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:34,320 Speaker 1: to you. I walked out of there with a quarter 461 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:36,280 Speaker 1: million dollar check in my hand. As a matter of fact, 462 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 1: I literally called my wife and I said, hey, you 463 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: want to go to South America. She said why? I said, 464 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:45,040 Speaker 1: we could just I got a quarter million dollars of 465 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:49,240 Speaker 1: my hand. We could just that didn't happen. But got 466 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:53,479 Speaker 1: the quarter million dollars. Okay, So now all the bankers 467 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 1: say you're not gonna be able to do it. What happened? 468 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:58,200 Speaker 1: Within one year the church almost doubled in size. We 469 00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:00,640 Speaker 1: never missed a payment. In fact, not only do we 470 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:02,920 Speaker 1: never miss a payment. We kept doing that and we 471 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:06,720 Speaker 1: paid off that quarter of a million dollar loan. Because 472 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:17,880 Speaker 1: God can do miraculous things when we exercise faith. And 473 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 1: there are people here today who gave money that made 474 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:26,520 Speaker 1: that faith miracle happen, People here today who were a 475 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: part of investing in that miracle that ultimately, because it's 476 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 1: not the bank that made it happen, it's the giving 477 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:36,560 Speaker 1: that made it happen. And it all comes down to 478 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 1: one thing. Faith. Here's what I know. God will provide. 479 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 1: God will do the impossible. Our best days are ahead. 480 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 1: Do you believe it? Stand with me. I'm gonna say 481 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 1: that again. And when I do, unlike the chief off 482 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 1: for sir who said I don't believe it, We're gonna 483 00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:07,840 Speaker 1: say I do believe it. Amen. God will provide. God 484 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 1: will do the impossible. Our best days are ahead. I 485 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:17,239 Speaker 1: believe it. That wasn't loud enough. I will do it 486 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:23,960 Speaker 1: one more time. God will provide. God's gonna do the impossible. 487 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:29,640 Speaker 1: Our best days are ahead. I believe it. Amen. God, 488 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:32,319 Speaker 1: bless you great to be with you today. We held 489 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:35,520 Speaker 1: today's message blessed and ministered to you. You can hear 490 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:38,920 Speaker 1: more from Pastor Rick on Prey. His daily devotions with 491 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:42,359 Speaker 1: Pastor Rick McDaniel can be heard anytime. There are over 492 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:45,600 Speaker 1: one hundred and seventy devotions on demand to listen to 493 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:49,160 Speaker 1: whenever you like. Make sure and visit his Prey Leader 494 00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:52,560 Speaker 1: profile and learn more about him and his ministry High 495 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:55,920 Speaker 1: Impact Living, and you can get Pastor Rick's new devotional 496 00:34:56,000 --> 00:35:00,360 Speaker 1: book This is Living Daily Inspiration to live your faith 497 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:04,920 Speaker 1: on Amazon and be inspired and encouraged each day have 498 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:11,600 Speaker 1: a great The podcast The Bible in a Year with 499 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 1: Jack Graham is a moving and inspiring Biblical audio experience 500 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:18,560 Speaker 1: that will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. 501 00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:22,000 Speaker 1: In each episode, you'll learn to apply Biblical principles to 502 00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:25,880 Speaker 1: everyday life. Each cinematic episode is a journey through the 503 00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:29,759 Speaker 1: Bible's most profound stories that will strengthen your appreciation of 504 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 1: the Word and inspire you to keep alerting. Listen to 505 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:36,200 Speaker 1: The Bible in a Year with Jack Graham on the 506 00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.